What do climate crisis, care for the earth and biodiversity have to do with parishes?

The answer is “much more than we may think”!

Local parishes and faith communities in three neighbouring dioceses are sending representatives to a conference taking place in Cork this month to tease out this question.

But they won’t be the first catholics talking about connecting faith and nature. 

As long ago as the 13th century, St. Francis of Assisi composed a prayer called the Canticle of the Creatures, which glorifies God through natural elements like the sun, wind, earth and water. 

St. Francis also included in his prayers and writings the phrase “Praise be to you, my Lord”.

In 2015, Pope Francis published his second official papal letter and he entitled it “Laudato Sí” (Praise to you – in Italian).

Now with the support of Trócaire, the dioceses of Cork and Ross, Cloyne and Waterford and Lismore are inviting their parishioners from 180 parishes to take up the challenges arising from our care for the earth and to see how parishes may act on the message of Pope Francis.

There will be 3 speakers in the morning and workshops in the afternoon

During the COVID pandemic Barryroe parishioner Denis O'Regan composed a new setting of the liturgy of the Mass

Thanks to the help of Bishop Fintan the liturgical text in this setting of the Mass was recently approved by the Advisory Committee on Church Music on behalf of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference in August 2026.

Dubbed the Gentle Mass, free practical workshops to learn it are being offered to all singers.

Find out more about the Workshops

The first workshop will take place on

Sunday 8 November 2026
3:00pm to 5:00pm

at Barryroe National School

To help with numbers and planning could each singer please

Register for the Workshop Here

You do not have to be currently singing in a church choir to participate

Everyone is Welcome!

the 'Gentle Mass'

Family of Parishes Newsletter

A new all-colour newsletter for the Family of Parishes with reports of recent sacraments and funerals along with schedules for the November Novena Masses.

View the Newsletter

First Holy Communion © AdobeStock

The dates of the First Holy Communion Masses in our family of parishes have been published.

• Sat April 24th    
  • Ardfield NS at Ardfield Church
• Sat May 1st      
  • Clogagh NS at Clogagh
• Sat May 8th      
  • Barryroe NS
  • St. Joseph’s GNS
• Sat May 15th
  • Rosscarbery parish schools
  • Gaelscoil Mhichíl Uí Choileáin
  • Timoleague NS
• Sat May 22nd
  • Scoil na mBuachaillí and Knockskeagh NS
  • Kilmeen NS (in Rossmore)

All Masses are at 10.30 am.

We wish all the children and their families and teachers every blessing in this most sacred year for the children.